National Guard Shooting Victims Identified as Feds Reveal More Details about 'Brazen' D.C. Attack By Liam Quinn 36

Authorities identified the two National Guard members shot in Washington, D.C., by an alleged gunman said to have worked with the CIA during the war in Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, Nov. 26, two West Virginia National Guard members deployed in D.C. were shot near the White House, the Associated Press reported.

At a Thursday press conference reported by the AP, NBC News and CNN, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro identified the two troops as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both remain in a critical condition.

According to CNN, Pirro said Beckstrom and Wolfe had been sworn in just 24 hours prior to the shooting.

“Two uniformed guardsmen were ambushed in a brazen and targeted attack,” the U.S. Attorney said, per the reports.

Previously, according to the outlets, authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national living in Washington state.

Lakanwal is currently charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the AP.

“We intend to continue monitoring what the charges will be depending upon the well-being of the guardsmen,” Pirro said, per NBC. “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge of murder in the first degree.”

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At Thursday’s press conference, Pirro reportedly said it was too early to identify a motive, though she alleged that Lakanwal drove across the country and carried out the shooting with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver.

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Citing officials, the AP reported that Lakanwal allegedly came to the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program started during the Biden administration that helped evacuate and resettle Afghans following the withdrawal of American troops from the country.

In a statement reported by CNN, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said that Lakanwal had worked with the CIA as a member of a “partner force in Kandahar.”

NBC reported that Lakanwal was also shot and taken to the hospital.